2016-17 record: 33-36-13 (79 points)
Missed the playoffs
Captain: Henrik Zetterberg
As the final seconds ticked down before the reality of missing the playoffs hit, it was icing on the cake for a Detroit Red Wings team that has only just begun to feel the pain of rebuilding. Almost everything that could have gone wrong did, and though they are entering a new arena in downtown Detroit, it's going to be a while before they can be playoff contenders again.
Up front, many of the young players that were expected to take the next step forward didn't, and the result was a team near the bottom in scoring. Henrik Zetterberg put up good numbers, but he's also on the wrong side of 35, and apart from Tomas Tatar and Anthony Mantha, there wasn't much in the way of improvement. Dylan Larkin took the biggest tumble, as he was able to get only 32 points in 80 games, and certainly, the stubborn coaching of Jeff Blashill wasn't helpful, as he waited a little too long before letting Mantha and Andreas Athanasiou loose. The veterans other than Zetterberg were also complicit in the team's struggles, as they too, took downward turns in numbers. Defensively has long been a sore spot since Nicklas Lidstrom retired in 2012, and it doesn't figure to be better anytime soon. Mike Green is a fine option for offense from the blue line, but the unit as a whole isn't going to put fear in anyone. Trevor Daley was added to at least make the group look respectable, but this is a unit in trouble. In goal, Petr Mrazek was supposed to be the starter, but he struggled with the role, and generally outplayed by Jimmy Howard when he was healthy. Mrazek has a lot to prove, especially since he was left exposed in the expansion draft, while Howard just simply needs to repeat last season while staying healthy.
Prediction: 7th in the Atlantic Division
This is just going to be plain bad for the Red Wings, as there isn't much to inspire confidence that they will even be competitive. With ownership changing hands after Mike Ilitch's death, as his son Chris runs the team now, this could be the last season for General Manager Ken Holland and Blashill if they don't show signs of growth.
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